My heart filled 186

Chapter 186

ALEXANDER

The second Faith’s words hung in the air, I felt the tension ripple through Dominic. Her voice, raw and laced with betrayal, made me feel awkward just standing there. I could see why Faith felt the way she did. From her point of view, she was justified in wanting out of this chaos. Hell, I’d be furious too if I were in her shoes. But Dominic? I understood him, too. He was my brother in every sense that mattered, and even though I wanted to wring his neck for the mess he’d made, I knew where his beant was

All of this–every damn piece of this disaster–could be solved if they just sat down, had an honest conversation, and gave themselves time to heal. But Faith wasn’t ready for that, and Dominic wasn’t making it any easier.

The ride home was silently stifling. I kept looking over at Dominic, who was holding onto the steering wheel like it might dissolve under his hands. Faith sat up straight in the back, her eyes out the window, body angled away from Dominic as far as the confines of the car would allow. I’d offered to drive but Dominic waved me oft, now I wished that I had pushed the issue as this was my longest and most silent ride mer.

When we pulled into the driveway, I half expected Faith to bolt. Instead, she opened the door and stepped out with as much grace as she could, holding her head high though I could tell she was barely holding it together. Dominic moved to help her, his hand reaching out instinctively, but she recalled the he’d burned her.

“Don’t touch me,” she snapped, her voice cutting through the silence like a whip.

“Faith,” Dominic started, his voice softer now, pleading.

“NO“!

“She turned to face him, her eyes blazing “You’ve done enough.”

Stubborn as ever, Dominic ignored her. He bent down, scooped her up in his arms, and began walking toward the house. Faith fought him, her fists wealdy pushing against his chest.

“Put me down, Dominic!” she demanded, her voice cracking with a mixture of rage and exhaustion.

“I’m not leaving you out here,” he said, his jaw clenched. “I know you’re hurt, but you’re my wife, Faith. And I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever.

I followed them inside, keeping a distance but close enough to Intervene in case things escalated.

The tension in the house was stifling, and I could feel it thick in the air as I hovered near the bottom of the stairs. Faith’s muffled yelling from upstairs echoed through the halls. “Dom! Let me out! Open the damn door!” Her voice cracked with anger and burt, and I winced, knowing this was only making everything worse.

I rounded on him, scowling “What the hell you thinking? You lock her up le that and think you will fix everything”

Dominic’s eyes blazed; his frustration began to spill over as he yelled “What should I do? Just let her go, just let her be walking away through that door still thinking that I don’t give a shit?”

I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t believe Dominic was rationalizing this. I crossed my arms, shaking my head. “You hurt her, Dominic. She’s angry, and she has every right to be. But locking her up? This isn’t the way to show her you care—it’s just going to push her further away.”

Dominic ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched. “You think I don’t know that? I’m trying to keep her safe! She’s not thinking straight, and if she Jeaves now, it’s over. I can’t lose ber, Alex. I won’t.”

You’re not giving her a choice, Dominie. You’re trapping her, and you know damn well that’s not going to fix anything. If you force her to stay like this, you’ll destroy what little chance you have left.

Dominic paced back and forth like a caged lion, his hands on his hips. “What do you want me to do? Let het walk out the door, take Caleb, and never com back? I’m trying to protect my family.”

I let out a heavy sigh as my frustration mounted. “Protect her? From what? From you? Decause right now, that’s what it looks like.”